


Voodooized

by mc_1



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: F/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-09-29 03:02:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mc_1/pseuds/mc_1
Summary: Eric’s been noticing something weird going on between Jackie and Hyde. At a party one night, all of Eric’s suspicions are confirmed when the two become love-marked- an event that occurs when soulmates are ready to be together, resulting in a mark on the skin that bonds them together for life. The unlikely couple puzzle over how they could possibly be paired together as they struggle to understand each other.





	1. Chapter 1

Point Place, Wisconsin ~ _1977_

* * *

I 

Eric sat in boastful contentment as his new girlfriend, Donna, cuddled up against him, his eyes drifting to his other friends with a lazy sort of smugness. 

 

“Eyes on the tv Eric, no one gives a crap that you’ve condemned yourself to a lifetime of monogamy forced upon you by the government in order to lull you into a meaningless life of white-collar complacency and sex with only one woman for the rest of your life,” Hyde said, then took a long sip of pop.

 

_Holy shit how did he say that all so fast?_ Eric thought to himself, still taking in what would ultimately be a complex but thorough burn that he now realized Kelso would declare in 3…2…1…

 

“Oh…! Burn!” Kelso shouted with glee, going across the coffee table to give Hyde a high five. 

 

Eric was still reeling and searching for a comeback when Donna rolled her eyes and said,  


“Oh what Hyde? Every government in every civilization for the past 10,000 years have been the ones who put in our internal clocks and the cells necessary for our skin to create the pigment that shows up when you’re meant to be with your soulmate?” 

 

Hyde grimaced at the word soulmate.

 

“Okay, I’m pretty sure that was a burn- a confusing, smart person burn,” Kelso said, looking thoughtful before looking up at Hyde and grinning obnoxiously, “But still- a B-BURN!”

 

Eric grinned and laughed along with Donna and Kelso as Hyde flipped them off and went to grab some pizza bagels from the kitchen upstairs as Kelso turned the volume up on the tv, singing along to the Happy Days theme song merrily. Eric had learned to tune this out over the years and instead focused on the mark on his girlfriend’s inner forearm, the tan mark shaped kinda like the Eiffel tower (they had both decided) matching the same one on the same place on his forearm. 

 

These marks, which Donna had been referring to, were most often called love-marks, similarly to birthmarks. They appeared the moment both you and your soulmate were ready to begin your relationship- or _matehood_ , as the health teacher so delightfully referred to it as. That was the technical term anyway because it really had to do with mating and reproduction and blah blah blah but it was _really_ -really about soulmates- an unexplained phenomenon that boggled scientists, skeptics, philosophers, and Hydes for thousands of years. 

 

His parents, Red and Kitty, had them too. When they met at a USO dance and his dad punched a marine for his mother’s honor. Their love marks were boot-shaped and on each of their left heels. 

 

_“So you can remember that both your mother and I can kick your ass,”_ _Red had said, causing Kitty to erupt in laughter._

 

Donna’s and his had appeared the night she gave him his first kiss, just a couple of months ago. They had been inseparable ever since. 

 

But there were always skeptics, like Hyde. Eric thought it was sad, and that maybe the reason why Hyde was so against the idea of soulmates was because his mom and dad had never met theirs. They had never even tried to look for them- just shacked up with each other and then moved on. Hyde once said it was because his mother’s soulmate had possibly died, and that’s all he ever said about that. 

 

Eric shuddered a little at that, thinking briefly about the possibility of Donna dying. It’s not as though he would have no chance at love after, there were many others who had suffered the same thing, or inexplicably never seemed to find their’s, but it was a harsher world to find love in and Eric was grateful to have Donna- his best friend. 

 

Without further thought, Eric pressed a kiss to her soft, coppery hair and nuzzled against her neck. Donna cooed at this, moving to give him a kiss when they heard a sudden door open and slam in quick succession. Looking up, they both rolled their eyes as Jackie stood before them clad in a furry red jacket and bellbottom jeans looking every bit the prima-donna. 

 

“Hey Jackie,” Donna said, her voice warm despite her mild annoyance at having been interrupted. 

 

“Guys! You will never guess what” Jackie spoke excitedly, albeit vaguely, her hands moving to rest on her little hips. Just as she spoke, Hyde came walking down the stairs quietly before he slipped into his usual chair with a plate full of pizza bagels to listen. 

 

“Ooh my gosh, what?” Eric said in a sarcastic valley girl voice. 

 

Jackie gave him a quick glare and said with still the same level of pep, “The student body council is hosting a party after the football game championship and as your cheerleader ambassador I’ve granted you guys all access to it.”

 

The reaction was mild, to say the least. 

 

“Wow, thanks Jackie,” Eric remarked quickly before turning back to the tv. The rest following to do the same. 

 

Jackie looked like she was almost expecting this reaction as she dropped with calculated casualness, looking between her feet and the rest of the room, “And it’s going to be at the _lake_.”

 

Suddenly all eyes were on her. The lake was a sacred place for Midwestern kids, and a party by the lake meant bonfires, booze, and a myriad of other shenanigans a bored Wisconsin teenager could get into. It was perfect. 

 

“Oh my gosh, Jackie!” Donna sprang up excitedly, “This is going to be great. Thank you!”

 

Jackie pushed a lock of hair away from her face, looking proud of herself, “Well, it was really no big thing.”

 

Donna and Jackie began talking animatedly about swimsuit tops- because even if it was fifty degrees and mid-April that sure as hell didn’t mean they weren’t going to take the opportunity to show off.

  
Eric looked over at Hyde and caught himself finding a sight he had unexpectedly been seeing more and more of recently.

 

Hyde was looking over where Jackie and Donna were stood with a small grin on his face, only half concealed by a pizza bagel being tossed into his mouth. Eric couldn’t see behind Hyde’s standard aviators but he could tell the general direction in which they were looking, and it seemed to match the direction his eyes had been drawn to for the past few weeks. 

 

Eric noticed how Hyde looked at Jackie. At first, he thought he had been staring at Donna since they were almost always together, but soon he realized that it was actually Jackie who had been receiving Hyde’s attention. He noticed it only sometimes but granted by the frequency with which his glances at Hyde did catch him staring at Jackie, it made him wonder how often Hyde spent observing Jackie. It seemed to be quite often. 

 

At first, Hyde couldn’t stand Jackie, as most of them couldn’t. Then he grew to tolerate her, as they all had, and then he even seemed to be okay with her. Which all of them were, even if she was a “tiny devil” as Eric liked to call her, although in an affectionate type of way (most of the time). And despite her annoyance with her Donna adored Jackie. Hyde though, he was always so aloof, the polar opposite of Jackie that it seemed like they would just repel each other?

 

Right?

 

Wrong.

 

For some odd reasons they often seemed pulled towards each other, like they were orbiting one another in a cosmic spin of bitchiness and zen-like indifference. Jackie had a habit of throwing herself into Hyde’s arms in moments of great distress, much to Hyde’s apparent confusion and chagrin and everyone else’s amusement. They always seemed to stand around each other, or target each other in conversations where neither of them were even talking to each other- and it couldn’t be denied that Hyde was almost always the most disgusted by Kelso’s pervy obsession with her- something she often loved because of the attention but refused to stoop to. 

 

_“Kelso, I’m saving myself for my soulmate and I won’t taint that with you behind the Burger Barn!”_

 

_“Not even if it’s just to second base?”_

 

_“No!”_

 

 

All this and now, even more recently, the seemingly near constant eyes on her- something Eric wasn’t even sure how long at which it had been going on. But no matter, when Eric caught glances at Hyde, he was usually looking at Jackie. It was hard to read Hyde- the glasses surely didn’t help, but the array of looks which he gave Jackie- from amused to disappointed, sometimes even verging on disgust, to something unreadable, a look with such subtle intensity that had Eric not been best friends with the guy for over ten years and or busy making out with Donna he might not have noticed it. These looks were hard to ignore. Hyde was always intense, but when directed at a single person, even for just a moment, it was pretty disarming.

 

Jackie never seemed aware of this- so wrapt up in her own little world. In fact, no one else seemed to notice, no one except Eric. Which made him wonder if he wasn’t just making it all up in his head… 

 

“Well!” Hyde declared, slapping his hands over his jean-clad legs, “I never miss an opportunity to crash a party full of snooty rich kids and steal all their booze. Count me in.” His grin was wide as a Cheshire cat. 

 

“Okay,” Jackie nodded at him, her face soft, almost even- amiable? “So, see everyone here at 8, okay?” she repeated again, her big brown eyes roaming over everyone, but moving once again to focus on Hyde for a moment.

 

Eric nodded along with everyone else, his mind full of thoughts and observations. Jackie left quietly afterward, parting from Donna with promises to review possible earring choices before departing for the party. 

 

Donna moved to sit next to Eric again, cuddling close and quietly mumbling something to herself- a small, knowing smile on her face. 

 

Eric saw and questioned her, “What?”

 

Donna looked to him, then shook her head shyly, still smiling before looking back up at him, “Okay, but you’ve got to promise not to blab about this to Hyde and Kelso.”  


 

Eric moved a finger across his chest, saying, “Scout’s honor.”

 

Donna continued, “Well, I was talking to Jackie and she told me something.”

  
  
Eric nodded, his mouth pursed before he said, “Okaay, is that it?”

 

Donna shook her head and rolled her eyes, “No,” she leaned in a little closer, conspiratorially and whispered, “Don’t be grossed out or anything but Jackie told me her period skipped last month.” 

 

Eric tried and failed very quickly to hide his disgust, “Okay, and why are you sharing the intimate details of Jackie’s menstrual cycle with me?”

 

“Because, before we got our love marks,” she moved her arm to show him, as though it were evidence, “I skipped my period the month before.”

 

Eric for a moment was horrified, wondering momentarily if it was possible to impregnate someone before even kissing them before realizing that was the sort of thought that earned Red calling him a dumbass. 

 

“Really?” Eric said eventually.

 

Donna nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, my mom told me that for women it’s common for them to miss their period the month before they meet their soulmate- sometimes even two months. She showed me this book all about this feminine body stuff and it said that the body tricks itself into believing that pregnancy is eminent because your body senses your soulmate is near.”

 

Eric was now convinced he knew absolutely nothing about the female reproductive system. It seemed the more he learned the more he was mystified. 

 

“I know it sounds hokey but almost every girl I’ve talked to said the same thing- even your mom!”

 

“Oh my gosh- stop! Just stop right there,” Eric demanded, trying to forget he had heard anything about his mom’s reproductive system. 

 

He was rewarded with another eye roll before Donna continued with a good measure of excitement, “Jackie and I think that she could meet her soulmate any day now! Gosh- think about it. It could be _anyone_.”

 

Eric, suddenly putting two and two together, felt a huge, ginormous, momentous revelation just on the brink of his conscious. 

 

_Could it be? Were Jackie and Hy-_

 

Before his brain could even formulate this query completely, Fez entered the room with great flair. 

 

“Hello, it is I, Fez,” he said with a large grin, attempting to sound suave and his shirt unbuttoned just a button too far. 

 

“Hey Fez, there’s a party at the lake and we’re all invited, we’re meeting up at 8,” Donna shared quickly, bringing him into the loop.

 

“A party?” Fez questioned, aghast, “And you tell me-“ he checked his watch quickly, “three hours before said party is to occur?”

 

Fez tapped his foot in obvious indignation.

 

“Sorry?” Donna tried, looking more than a little bemused.

 

“Oh, say sorry later when my white party pants are riddled in creases- you son of a bitch!” he shouted, exiting with a flourish and a loud slam of the door. 

 

Eric had a feeling that a more dramatic event than Fez’s wrinkly bell bottoms would disrupt the evening.

 

 

~*~

 

It was official. 

 

This party was bitch’n.

 

Oh, also. Jackie and Hyde were definitely soulmates and going to be marked tonight. 

 

Was that queso? 

 

Eric took a more than generous helping of queso dip upon a nacho chip and crunched thoughtfully. He was thoughtful for two reasons: one, because this party had more snacks than he was expecting and he was starting to wonder if the student council deserved more of his respect for the awesome spread. And two, and granted more importantly, because he had realized that Jackie and Hyde were soulmates and their marks would be coming in tonight. 

 

Eric had been watching Jackie and Hyde like a hawk since he realized, but three hours after arriving at the party and no sign of immediate romantic awakening had occurred. In fact, the only awakening that seemed to have occurred was when Hyde was practicing opening his third chakra with some hippy chick. And that wasn’t a euphemism. Although Eric would definitely be using it as one when he teased Hyde about it later. 

For now though, he was still watching, albeit not as diligently as before as he nursed a beer and held Donna in between his legs around the bonfire, occasionally sneaking chips and dip and careful not to get any queso into Donna’s hair. Last Eric had checked Jackie was talking to a bunch of girls from the cheerleading squad while Hyde had moved on to some other burnouts from school. A near constant supply of weed necessitated the extension of an invite to even the most unpopular of Point Place High. 

Eric also was careful to keep his watch on the low-down in case Donna or anyone else in the group were to discover. He didn’t know why he hadn’t told Donna his suspicion, but now sitting within a decent enough earshot from Hyde and Kelso constantly coming up to them asking if Donna wanted to do belly button shots ( _No thank you, perv._ Almost always being the answer, if not for just the concise middle finger), Eric felt he couldn’t risk spilling the beans until the beans metaphorically spilled themselves out and, _I don’t know, started holding hands or something?_

 

Eric was almost entirely unsure what would happen when Hyde and Jackie had their moment- if it even happened tonight at all.

 

But something about it: the accumulation of glances and hints, his sudden realization, the party, Jackie’s- _menstrual cycle_ … It all seemed too coincidental not to mean a sudden and unexpected declaration of passionate love. 

 

Eric really needed more dip if he was going to deal with this. 

 

Eric grabbed two chips now, dipping them both in a lake of queso before munching with as much care as possible so as not to crumb-up Donna’s hair. Thinking about it, he wasn’t even sure how he felt about it. Jackie and Hyde. It made no sense. Didn’t it? Eric thought about it. He knew that opposites attracted, but he didn’t think opposites _that_ opposite could. And it couldn’t be denied that their interactions were becoming more and more informal, more friendly, a little bit suggestive of something else lying underneath the surface. And if it turned out they were soulmates- wouldn’t that mean they were really suited for each other? Like, biologically and emotionally and everything? 

 

Eric needed more dip. He was beginning to think that it was the key to some deeper revelations. 

 

Before he could grab another chip, a voice broke through the din of chatter and music to make a loud proclamation. 

 

“Point Place High! We’ve officially defeated the East Valley Bulldogs!” The girl, a peppy blonde in a horrible purple sweater- as Donna so remarked, shouted from the top of a small hill near the lake, met immediately with cheers and whoops from the crowd of inebriated teenagers. 

 

She smiled a twinkling smile and spoke again, the music dimming to a gentle hum as she continued, “Now, does anybody have anything to say in commemoramation,” she stumbled, clearly a little drunk, "of our victory? Please, stand up!”  


Within an instant, there were shouts and hoots and some ooh’s even as a figure must have volunteered themself. 

 

Suddenly the ooh was coming from Donna as she laughed in delight.

 

“Oh shit!” she laughed again before screaming, “Yeah! Wooh! Go Hyde!”

 

Eric watched with a mix of anticipation, humor, a little fear as to what Hyde would have to say, as well as something else- almost a feeling of foreboding as Hyde climbed his way up the hill to replace the girl.  


 

He looked out onto the crowd, looking generally unkempt and rowdy in his ratty fleece-lined denim jacket and Led Zeppelin t-shirt, his sunglasses still on even though it was nearly midnight. He looked effortlessly cool and aloof as he smirked at the crowd, nursing a beer in his hand. 

 

Kelso and Fez came to stand beside Eric and Donna as they waited with anticipation for whatever was going to come out of Hyde’s smirking mouth. 

 

“Ladies and gentleman-“ he began in a loud, clear voice. 

 

Oh boy.

 

“We stand here today, not because of the victory won over our most hated foes- the East Valley Bulldogs,” Hyde spoke, not even trying to hide his sarcasm. Although to be fair, he didn’t need to when over half the crowd were drunk off their asses. They even cheered passionately at the mention of their victory against the East Valley Bulldogs, much to Hyde’s obvious delight as he continued dramatically, “No, not even for our victory against the Bulldogs do we gather here today in celebration- but for a larger reason. A reason even greater than ourselves.” 

 

Hyde let that hang in the air for a moment before he proclaimed, “Free booze!”

 

The crowd erupted wildly, cheering Hyde on as he laughed and downed his beer, unceremoniously tossing it off the side of the hill as people laughed and cheered still. 

 

This was all well and good until Eric noticed a strange look come upon Hyde's face. His face had gathered what looked like a fine sheen of sweat across it, his eyes had become unfocused, almost as though they were trying to latch onto a certain something that they could not find, and his face looked stunned, almost petrified. 

 

“Woah, does he look okay to you?” Donna asked, noticing as well. Really, it was kind of hard to miss. 

 

Eric didn’t know what to say. He had a sudden feeling he knew what was going on with Hyde- and that suspicion grew until his whole brain felt like it was on fire and red alarm bells were going off. 

 

His eyes turned almost in an instant towards a figure moving up towards the hill where Hyde stood tentatively just a few feet above, seeming close to losing his balance. 

 

Jackie stood at the edge of the hill as she looked up at Hyde, the music already being spiked way back up as people either didn’t notice or didn’t care about the scene that was unfolding before them. Eric watched, enthralled by what he was seeing. 

 

Hyde made a strange face, his focus now entirely on Jackie- what he seemed to have been searching for when he stared lost into the crowd now before him. He held up his arm, grasping at his forearm as though it were burning him, but despite the obvious pain his eyes refused to look away from Jackie. Eric remembered the feeling well. Her eyes didn’t move away from him either as she watched with an expression that was harder to read from so far away and through crowds of people. They didn’t stop staring at each other, not until a few minutes had passed and both Hyde and Jackie’s eyes seemed to move towards their respective arms. 

 

_It’s happening_. Eric thought.

 

“What the hell is going on?” Donna asked, trying to get a bit of a closer look. 

 

Eric didn’t know what to say. He continued to watch and saw that Hyde was now climbing quickly down the hill, going around to reach an unmoving Jackie. He grasped her arm and pulled it up to his, examining them both side by side before looking back to Jackie’s face. Recognition had dawned on them both and, almost on cue, a voice shouted: 

 

“Hey, guys! Looks like we got a love-marking going on!” 

Several eyes moved in an instant to Jackie and Hyde’s direction, some people letting out some hoots and cheers and wolf-whistles. A love-marking wasn’t exactly a rare event- it was about as common as an engagement or stumbling across a wedding. However, it was often a cause of mild interest. Many were certainly interested to see Jackie Burkhart- the head cheerleader, and Steven Hyde- the school burnout locked in a love-marking. In fact, they weren’t just interested, many people seemed to be understandably confused. 

 

Within an instant, Eric could see that Hyde was dragging Jackie through the crowd, seemingly towards where the van was parked. 

 

Eric and Donna, along with Fez and Kelso, barely had time to register this before Eric and Donna pushed the group to move in the same direction towards Kelso’s van. 

 

Kelso, however, could not contain his shock and outrage as they sprinted towards the van, 

 

“This is so unfair! Jackie and I have been flirting with each other for over four years and she gets paired with Hyde?! Come on!”

 

Frankly, this is what most people also thought, but at that moment no one really cared about Kelso’s grievances, as Donna made very clear,

 

“Shut _up_ Kelso!”

 

Eric had no clear eye on the future, running his scrawny ass off through a crowd of drunken, oblivious teenagers- no fully-formed thought to the consequences of this monumental moment in their group other than this: they would never be the same because of it.  


	2. Chapter 2

II

* * *

Hyde had been having a grand old time at the party. He’d been talking with the hippies, the stoners, and even some of the popular kids- Hyde had a laid-back charm and easy likability behind his prickly exterior that could only be attributed to his zen state of mind. He didn’t really hate anybody specifically, besides maybe some of the trust-fund kids- or the Canadians. Overall though, he was just trying to have a good time. With a few tokes off a spliff and a couple of beers, Hyde was happily buzzed- something he had realized over the years of his still rather young life that he enjoyed more than being drunk off his ass. He liked still being within his right mind, liked that he could still easily quote Paine and Guevara within a conversation. Getting wasted was an activity most enjoyed by idiots like Kelso- whose tiny brains could barely form a coherent thought, sober or otherwise.

 

And so, he’d enjoyed chatting with the various characters at the party, occasionally his mind wandering towards a certain someone, his eyes nearly always following his stupid brain’s lead.

 

He’d checked up on Jackie more than a few times during the party, his eyes always finding her in the same spot beside a tree, talking animatedly with some of her bitchy cheerleader friends. Hyde was annoyed every single time he looked over and saw her standing there, probably talking about something shallow and stupid. He had to tell himself over and over again to get a grip and stop caring so much about Jackie and her party-conversation. However, this didn’t stop him from keeping her almost constantly within view.

 

The party was in full swing by the time Hyde was stood chatting with some stoner buddies, having a chill time beside the bonfire when the blonde chick with the nice rack called for volunteers to make a rousing speech. He felt more than confident that he could stir the crowd as he walked forward, a shit-eating grin on his face.

 

Once he’d made his speech, which could only be described as uproarious and to the point- two characteristics that could easily sum him up as well- the crowd had cheered, as he’d been expecting them to. Hyde was feeling like king of the world, leader of some revolution, like Gandhi or Lennon, standing up there amidst a cheering crowd. He grinned and chuckled to himself, feeling good, and tossed back the remainder of his beer before chucking it.

He looked out over the crowd again and felt his eyes meet a pair of eyes that caused his gaze to narrow in and focus like the lens of a camera upon them. Jackie was looking up at him, her eyes dark and glittering under the moonlight, bewitching and adorable as could be- as welcome a sight as black coffee on an absolute piece-of-shit morning. Through his eyes a sort-of vignette seemed to form around her perfectly heart-shaped face as she giggled and chatted with her friends, occasionally peeking back up at him. 

It was then that a strange and inexplicable feeling came over Hyde, one that made him feel like doubling over and spilling his guts out onto the side of the hill. He felt his body grow hot, hotter than it should have been even in his shearling jacket. His face felt like it was pouring with sweat and his guts felt like they were shifting around inside of him. All in all, Hyde was about eighty percent sure he was dying- that, or he’d taken some shrooms that he’d forgotten about. 

 

Both would have seemed more likely than what he was actually experiencing- but of course, he had no idea about that. All he knew was that he felt sick, sick to the point of dying, and at that moment, dazed and confused, all he wanted was to see that same pair of eyes again. Searching through the crowd for her, as he'd done a million times that night, he spotted her within mere seconds. His eyes found hers again, only this time they didn’t glitter with mirth but were hazy and stunned looking. It was after a moment that he realized Jackie was walking towards him at a slow but steady pace, her eyes zeroed in on him.

 

Hyde was overcome with another wave of nausea, only this time it was that particular type of nausea that aligned itself directly with anticipation. It was a feeling as though a bomb was counting down inside of him, ticking closer and closer to his ultimate destruction with every step Jackie took towards him. 

  
  
It was not long before Jackie was in front of the hill, looking as though she were waiting for something. Hyde took a deep breath, starting to feel a little better with her closer to him now, somehow… He was about to put his mind to figuring out what the hell was going on when a sudden and very new feeling replaced the previous one- this time a searing pain along the back of his forearm- like someone was putting out their cigar onto his skin. He grimaced, his teeth gritting against the pain, unable though to tear his eyes away from the look of pain on Jackie’s little face, her eyes bright and bulging, watering as she sucked air through her teeth in a wince. She was grasping her arm- the same one as his. Hyde was ready to ignore the pain and climb his way down the hill to help her when a last, fiery burst of pain erupted across his skin, causing his eyes to tighten shut.

 

The feeling could only be described as something akin to having one’s skin ripped off. It was not until another full, agonizing minute had passed before finally the pain began to subside. And then, as inexplicably as it came, it left him. For a moment, Hyde was overcome with relief. His eyes blinked open blearily, and as soon as they were able to focus they moved to Jackie. He was relieved to see the pain on Jackie’s face had melted away too. Soon as he was assured of that, he looked to the spot on his arm where moments ago a fiery pain had overwhelmed it. He almost expected to see shiny, taught new skin in its place, but instead…

 

_Holy shit._

Hyde couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

_Holy SHIT._

Hyde stared, mind-boggled, at a dark, tan mark now inked onto his skin. He examined it- not believing what he was seeing. The mark was dark in color, fresh looking, and rather large across the back of his forearm. Its shape was rather long and skinny, hooked at the bottom near his wrist like a fish hook. He sure as hell didn’t have this mark when he woke up this morning, or even five minutes ago. No, this mark was brand new- and a sign that something unbelievable had happened to him in those moments.

Hyde had found his soulmate- Hyde  _had_  a soulmate. That seemed to be the most unbelievable revelation of the two. But who was it? Hyde's brain was foggy and unclear, his mind worked clumsily, slowly towards an answer, like Kelso. It was an answer that seemed like it was standing right in front of him...

 

_Jackie._

In a flash Hyde was climbing down the hill, boots skittering across the dirt and gravel until he reached the bottom and made his way around to where Jackie stood- her slender arm still clutched in her hand and her eyes wide and unmoving from the spot where she had rolled up her sleeve to reveal a mark in the exact same spot as his. 

_Oh, man._

 

As quickly as possible, Hyde was by Jackie’s side. Her eyes moved to his instantly, expression unreadable. He dragged his gaze away from hers and grabbed her arm forcefully but not roughly, careful not to grab her too hard as he pressed their arms side by side, inspecting them further to see if maybe- just maybe, Jackie had a giant ass birthmark that he’d never known about. Not very likely, he knew, as his eyes moved from the identical markings to Jackie’s face, her eyes alive with recognition. The expression was still unreadable of anything other than shock, and Hyde was suddenly overcome by the confirmation of what he knew to be true.

In that moment, distraught and deeply confused- all Hyde could think to do was grab ahold of Jackie’s slim wrist and drag her along behind him. He was aware that dozens of eyes were now upon them, vaguely remembering someone shouting out the obvious.

Jackie Burkhart and Steven Hyde had been love-marked.

Hyde rushed headlong towards the only place he could see as a way of escape- the van. Quickly, Hyde pulled Jackie along toward the van, the crowd thinning the further away they got.

Hyde was more than relieved when he spotted the van only a few yards away. He pushed forward, moving even faster and evoking a sudden noise of distress from behind him. Hyde looked over his shoulder and saw Jackie looking dismayed as she was jostled along behind him. Hyde slowed their pace down, shortening his strides to be a little more even with hers as they closed in on the last few feet between them and Kelso’s van.

Letting go of her hand for a moment, Hyde sent her a look that told her to stay put. Surprisingly, Jackie listened and didn't mutter a peep. Hyde moved towards the hood of the car and placed his fingers on the underside of it, feeling around for what he was looking for until- aha.

Hyde pulled out a pair of keys and gave a short sigh. Kelso was an idiot, but at least now his idiocy was useful. Hyde made his way to the passenger door and opened it, ushering Jackie to enter when a sudden burst of labored breathing and a familiar, _irritating_ voice shouted.

“Hyde, you stay the hell away from my van, dude!” Kelso ordered, sounding out of breath, he followed with a threat, “I’ll kick your ass!”

Kelso stopped before them, putting his hands on his knees and bending forward, his breathing shallow as he took in air. He wasn't the least bit threatening. 

 

Seconds later, Donna, Eric, and Fez followed quickly suit, stopping alongside Kelso to catch their breath also. 

 

Donna was the first to break the chorus of wheezing, shouting angrily, “Hyde- what the hell are you doing?!”

Hyde looked between the group and Jackie, who was stood by the door he was holding open, looking unsure whether to go in or not.

Frankly, Hyde had no fucking _clue_ what he was doing. All he knew was that he needed to get out of here- needed to get Jackie and him out of here so they could... So they could- hell, he didn’t even know what to do after that.

“You can’t just whisk Jackie away like this- it isn’t the dark ages, Hyde,” Donna lectured, looking confused and concerned and angry as hell all at once, her hands on her hips, leaning almost dangerously far forward as she pointed at him and said, “You can’t just make off with Jackie like she’s your prize.”

Hyde really wasn't sure what to do with all this. He was wiggin out, man. And he really couldn’t stand to be lectured at or to watch Eric look at him all concerned like that or to listen to Fez and Kelso as they-

“Damnit, Donna. I’m fine,” Jackie’s small but assertive voice suddenly broke out. Hyde looked at her in surprise, for once shocked to hear Jackie speak. She appeared even smaller than usual as she stood eyeing the group, looking less fierce than she sounded with her wide, lost-looking eyes and a slightly quivering bottom lip. Despite its attempt to sound authoritative, there was no hiding the shiver in Jackie's voice as she spoke, “I want to go with Steven.”

Hyde wasn’t so sure if she meant that, and he wasn’t the only one who didn’t seem to buy it because Donna was peering at her with worried, searching eyes.

“Jackie, I just want to make sure you’re alright- that you both are,” she said, tossing a look Hyde's way, “What just happened was huge and you need time to process it before you just- take off into the sunset,” she finished, sounding irritated. 

Hyde could barely contain his annoyance, despite the validity of some of Donna’s claims, and broke into the conversation.

“You see, the only way I can even keep my head from exploding right now so I can process all this is if I get the hell out of here,” he said, jabbing a thumb sideways towards the ongoing party. His voice was laced with barely concealed aggravation.

Donna looked for a while between him and Jackie, her brow furrowing over her piercing blue eyes before finally, she let out a sigh, “Okay, fine. But make sure you get to a payphone later so I can make sure you're alright. I’ll be at Eric’s house. And Hyde," she said, setting her fierce gaze on him, "If you don’t have Jackie call me- I swear Hyde I will kick your ass.”

Donna didn’t mince words. Hyde nodded acceptingly, more than happy to agree to her terms.

Donna sighed and went to give Jackie a hug which the small brunette gladly returned. They whispered quietly to one another for a moment, so quietly that none of them could hear the conversation until soon enough it was over. Donna pulled away and returned back to Eric, letting him wrap an arm around her, while Jackie finally stepped into the van and pulled the door shut behind her. Hyde took this as a sign to move and quickly made his way to the other side of the van. Meanwhile, Kelso was yelling and scoffing in shock and anger.

“Donna! What the hell?!” he bellowed, “You can’t let Hyde take my van, it’s MY van!”

Hyde disregarded Kelso’s whining and got into the driver’s seat, quickly turning on the ignition and blasting the heater, glancing over only to make sure the vents were open and letting Jackie receive enough of the warm air. Once assured, Hyde revved the gas peddle, peeling out of the sandy lot where it was parked as quickly as possible. The sounds of Kelso’s outrage did not cease until they were nearing the onramp- thanks in part to him running after the van throwing rocks at the back windshield and yelling obscenities.

_Moron_ , Hyde thought to himself, knowing Kelso hadn't thought of the fact that he was pitching rocks _at his own car_. Thinking about this briefly got his mind off what was going on for a moment, until he looked back over at Jackie and saw her painfully neutral expression as she stared straight out the window. Hyde sighed, aware again of the situation he was in and feeling more than a little bad for Jackie, all things considered. If a dude like him suddenly grabbed him and forced him into a speeding van to as yet undisclosed location, he’d be shitting himself.

 

Hyde tried to think of all the places he could bring Jackie to, specifically places that wouldn’t be too scary for her but would also be quiet enough for him to clear his head and think. Hyde went over a list of possible places in his head, finally circling one in particular before directing the van towards the next exit, knowing exactly where they could go.

It was a long twenty minutes until they reached the spot. They’d passed through a dense bit of woods to get there, thankfully Jackie hadn’t been gripping onto the door handle, readying to escape the entire time they drove. No, in fact, she was almost unnervingly calm as he drove them up to the spot. Somewhere Hyde had never let anybody else in the group come to in fear that it would quickly become overwhelmed by Kelso and his stupid dates, effectively ruining the spot forever with his sex-fueled escapades.

This spot was special to Hyde. It was quiet and remote, far from all the main roads and even farther away from all the bullshit. It was a small, open patch of dirt, surrounded on three sides by trees and underbrush and opening out onto a view of the entire town, the lake, and a view of a thousand stars canopied over twenty miles of Wisconsin backwater. 

  
  
Hyde began to feel a bit better the moment he parked into the small protrusion in the cliffside. He left the car on as he hopped out, hoping Jackie could relax in its warmth and maybe take some time to think things out for herself. He sure as hell needed to.

Looking out over the view he wondered what the hell this all meant, anyway. Hyde wasn’t the type of guy who believed in soulmates. They were gimmicky- fairytales sold to you with a Tiffany’s engagement ring, something major companies and the government used to keep people complacent. It was all bullshit- his parents had proved that much to be true. But now? 

Now he had one.

And said one was a spoiled-rotten princess sitting in the passenger’s seat, waiting for him to get with the program. 

Hyde rubbed his eyes tiredly, a headache coming on. The night had kicked the crap out of him and now all he wanted was to sleep- ideally for about a week. But there was something that couldn’t be denied- or rather someone, as the sound of the passenger door opening and slamming shut, and a pair of towering wedge sandals crunching against the gravel gingerly towards him forced Hyde to get his shit together haphazardly. 

He turned to see Jackie just a few feet away, her slender arms clutching around her middle- her scanty jacket and bikini top not doing her any favors in this weather. With a sigh, he took off his own jacket, not unused to a little cold or discomfort, and handed it to her. She stared at the piece of clothing for a moment, as though questioning whether or not it was worth ruining her outfit to escape from the cold. She apparently chose comfort over style, grabbing the offered jacket and throwing it over her shoulders, stepping a foot or two closer as she did so.

Hyde tried not to acknowledge the feeling in his chest seeing her in his jacket. She sure as hell looked better in it than he did. 

Hyde searched for something to say, fighting through fatigue and uncertainty that clouded his brain worse than whatever that stuff was that Leo kept in an envelope under the photo hut desk. Usually, words came to him quickly- whether he was burning someone or discussing the disillusionment he felt with society on a near-daily basis. He was good at thinking up something at least halfway-decent to say,but now- embarrassingly- he struggled for something even funny.

Honesty, he conceded, would probably be best.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with you, doll,” he said, trying hard not to sound callous. 

 

He really didn’t know what to do with her. Hyde wasn't the type of guy a girl like Jackie needed. Guys like Kelso, those were the kind that girls like her wanted. Guys with more money than brain cells. Guys who could keep her stupid and rich and happy. Those were the ones. The thought of it left a bad taste in his mouth. 

Hyde glanced up at Jackie and was more than a little surprised when he saw how angry she looked. It was like she had been reading his mind and didn't like the sound of it either. 

“Don’t you dare Steven- you are not taking this away from me!" Jackie said in a raised voice, "I’ve waited sixteen years for this moment and I’m not going to let you ruin it just because it ended up being with you,” she finished. 

 

Hyde didn't know if he should be insulted or flattered.

 

“Look, princess. I don’t know how you see this going- but I can tell you right now that it’s not going to go the way you think. I’m not your friggin knight-in-shining-armor- and I’m not prince charming. I’m me, and me you’re not going to like.”

  
  
He meant for it to sound threatening, but there was a hesitation to his voice that he hoped only he could hear.

Jackie crossed her arms petulantly, “You don’t get to decide what I like, you dirty hippie.”

Despite himself, Hyde laughed. Leave it to Jackie to be as snobbish as possible, even in a serious moment. In spite of his amusement, Hyde continued his assault on the very idea of their coupling. 

“I might not be able to break this bubble you seem to have forced around yourself but I can try and explain it to you as clearly as possible: I don’t like you- I don’t like your world. I don't like your money, or your clothes, or your rich, snobby friends, or your attitude. We come from totally different worlds, as you can’t help but point out, and our two worlds Jackie-" he waved between the two of them, "they don’t mix. Ever,” Hyde declared, crossing his arms in finality. 

He was feeling pretty proud of his rebuttal until, instead of the bitchy retort he had been expecting, Jackie flinched in response. Embarrassment flashed across her pretty face- her eyes turned glassy as she looked anywhere else but at him. He watched as her mouth parted and let out a shaky little huff as though she'd been smacked across the face. 

Hyde was immediately horrified, suddenly overwhelmed with guilt. He’d been hoping she’d yell or kick him even- that she’d fight back. He didn’t think he’d really hurt her. This is what they did after all- they bickered and they shouted mean things at each other but they were only ever skin deep. At least, they were supposed to be. Without Jackie's spitfire comebacks, Hyde's words hung in the air painfully- their spitefulness cutting sharp as glass. It was a dick move and he should have known that he was stepping over the line.

 

Hyde moved gingerly to close the distance between him and Jackie, grabbing onto her shoulder and pushing her towards him, pulling her close to his threadbare t-shirt and wrapping his arms around her uncertainly. He was gratified when she at least didn't push him away. Instead, she buried her face deeper into his chest, her arms still wrapped around herself and her tears starting to soak into the thin cotton of his shirt. Hyde buried the impulse to wrap his arms around her tighter.

 

_Damn't._ Why couldn't she just be her nice, normal bitchy self? It was hard to hate her when she was crying in his arms. Hell, it'd already been hard. Hating Jackie had turned into one of those things he had to force nowadays; a switch inside his brain he had to force himself to remember to keep flipped on. Now, her hands tentatively grasping at the hem of his shirt, her warm, wet cheek pressed against his chest, her soft, black curls beneath his chin... Now, he was forgetting how to turn it back on. 

Jackie was the only person who made Hyde feel like she could see right through him- right through his tinted aviators and into his very soul. It was like some sort of voodoo, this weird spell she put him under when she looked at him in just the right way. The way that made him keep staring at her all night long. The way that made him hold her a few seconds longer than he should when she cried. The way that made him take her to prom and let her dance with Kelso even though that Zepplin song was playing...

  

_ It only goes to show _

_  
That you will be mine _

_  
By takin' our time, ooh... _

 

She didn't understand. Why should she? It wasn't like she did it to him on purpose...  

 

But how? How could she not understand how she scared the absolute shit of him? 

 

Because only one thing scared Hyde. One thing in all the pantheon of fears that really, truly made him fearful. And that was want. To be scared of Jackie, not her bitchiness or her snobbishness or her roundhouse kicks to the shins in those stilettos of hers. To truly be scared of her meant that he actually wanted something, wanted it more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. It meant that he wanted her. And he wasn't ready for something like that. He wasn't ready to lose something he knew he knew he couldn't have had in the first place. 

Hyde pressed Jackie closer to his chest, his jaw tightening, hoping she couldn’t hear how his heart beat furiously against his chest. As much as could deny himself, he couldn't deny her- especially when doing so meant wrecking a happiness she'd looked forward to for years. The least he could do was make amends. 

“Jackie, look, I'm sorry. That was harsh, even for me,” he spoke quietly, pausing for a moment, “I just don’t know how to deal with all this-this stupid soulmate stuff. Honestly, I didn’t think it would happen to me.”

Jackie moved her head up to look at him, her mascara smudged at the corners of her eyes and her cheeks blotchy and red, “You didn’t?”

  
  
Hyde nodded and tried not to feel like even more of a piece of shit, “It didn’t happen to my mom, that's for sure. She used to say hers died before she ever got to meet him. Then my dad came around and- well, he sure as hell wasn't her soulmate- thought it was a whole load of crap.”

Jackie nodded along understandingly, although Hyde figured this was a topic far outside the realm of her own understanding. 

“I know it seems like I’m doing this just to be mean- but I just don't want you to be disappointed when I'm nothing like you'd hoped,” Hyde said.

Jackie’s eyes went a little wide, looking defiant. He could already hear the denial on her lips- he didn’t for the life of him understand why though. Regardless, he continued/

“But if you want to try, well- I’m not going to stop you.”

He felt satisfied at this. While he didn’t make her any promises, at least he didn't shut her down completely. She probably just needed to get this out of her system anyway. Jackie was stubborn and if she thought she could make this work now, she'd learn soon enough that she couldn't, and she'd get bored with him. 

Jackie's eyes were downcast, her face drawn deep in thought. It wasn’t until a few moments later that she finally spoke. 

  
  
“You have to, too.”

Hyde’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion, “Have to what?”

She looked up at him, her dark eyes glittering the same way they did at the party- the way that made his jaw clench nervously. With those eyes and that pouty little mouth, he could understand why Kelso was always after her.

“You have to try, too,” she repeated, clarifying.   


In that moment, Hyde felt he had very little reason to deny her this- not like he could think of a good excuse either. So, with some caution, he agreed.

“Okay,” he said slowly, “I’ll try.”

It wasn’t a satisfying answer, but at least it was an honest one. She deserved an honest answer.

 

Thankfully, it seemed to be enough for Jackie. Without prompting, she stood on her tiptoes and raised her lips to his cheek, pressing a gentle kiss that lingered for a second or two before it was gone in a flash, the pleasant warmth it brought gone with it. 

Hyde’s eyes widened a fraction, not that one could tell with his glasses on. Without another word she moved to the van and got inside, waiting for him to follow suit.

Hyde got in a little while after her, taking some time to digest everything before walking over to the van and starting it up rather unceremoniously. They drove off from the clearing in silence, Hyde silently stewing the whole way back towards Point Place while Jackie sucked thoughtfully on a mint.

Donna received her phone call at two in the morning, much to her chagrin. Jackie called from a pay phone outside a roadside diner.  _Everything is fine,_  Hyde overheard her say on the phone as he leaned against the van nearby, trying not to analyze the tone of Jackie's voice for anything and instead focusing on regaining some of his zen, much of which he'd lost in the course of only a few hours.

_ Steven and I just stopped for some food and then he’s dropping me off at home. _

_ … _

_ Yeah, I’ll call you tomorrow Donna. Bye. _

An hour and ten bucks worth of burgers and fries later - his treat, since he’d made the night so shitty for her, Hyde dropped Jackie off at her house. He received another kiss and a prim ‘thank you’ for dinner. His expression didn't move. He watched her unlock the door to her house, close it behind her, and turn on a light upstairs before he finally left.

He dropped the van off at the Forman's where Kelso was still waiting for it in the basement. He went immediately into his tiny room, shutting the door behind him and therefore shutting off any questions from Eric, Kelso, or Fez. 

In bed, Hyde thought quietly in the dark. There were too many things to think about, too many questions- his friends’ as well as his own- that needed answering. All Hyde wanted at the end of them all was sleep.

His last thought before fatigue had finally overcome him was where'd he left his jacket?


	3. Chapter 3

III

* * *

 

Jackie lay in her powder-pink bed ill at ease. 

 

It was Monday and Monday meant school- and that meant seeing Steven for the first time since he dropped her off late Saturday night. All the next morning and late afternoon she turned over every moment that came after their love-marking. The bitter cold of that clearing Steven took her to, the bitterness of his words, the weird, wonderful feeling of being in his arms- even if it wasn't how she always pictured her soulmate's embrace. Steven was shorter and stockier, and his arms were harder and stronger too- even more muscular than Kelso. His skin was warm too, warmer than her idle fantasies could have imagined. Things in daydreams were always half-formed- they seemed to leave out the smallest but surprisingly most important of details. She could never have imagined the feeling of Steven's stubble scratching against her lips when she kissed his cheek or how he smelled when he was standing close- like patchouli and musk and the faint, stale smell of weed. It was all she could think about when he was driving her home that night, with the heat on blast and his jacket around her shoulders, his fingers drumming idly on the steering wheel... She never noticed until that night how long Steven's fingers were... They were such small details but to recount them made the memories feel fresh and new again, as though they had just been made. The smell of patchouli ghosted across her senses once again, making her heart beat a little bit faster...

 

Jackie sat up sharply, disrupting her thoughts like clouds of smoke around her head. Her eye caught onto something across the room: Steven's jacket, hanging carefully on the back of her desk chair. She'd have to give it back to him today. A part of her wondered if he'd meant for her to have it, like a sort of present now that they were together- but Jackie quickly admonished herself for such a thought. Steven barely wanted to be friends let alone soulmates, she thought mournfully. A generous pout sported across her pretty features. She thought of the present her father had given her mother the week they were love-marked- a platinum tennis bracelet with their initials engraved on the clasp.  It was the type of present she'd always hoped her soulmate would get her. 

 

And here she was, ready to settle for even a smelly old jacket. 

With a small harumph, Jackie jolted out of bed and headed for the closet, her chin held high and her painted toes gliding primly across the plush carpet. She examined her options and decided on wearing her prettiest dress, the one she usually saved for large dinner parties or when she wanted to make another girl cry. She put it on and took her time getting ready; picking the right blush to match the tiny flowers on her dress, picking the right lipstick to match the blush, making sure her glossy black curls were extra bouncy and her lashes extra long. She even made sure that the pink of her dangling floral earrings didn't clash with the hue of the lipstick and the blush and the tiny flowers on her dress. Today was not a day for slip-ups, and so- well-accessorized and well-groomed, Jackie was then ready to face the day. 

 

Moments later, she rushed down the stairs toward the dining room. Unsurprisingly, her father was sat quietly- alone- at the table. The paper in one hand and his morning coffee in the other, he acknowledged his daughter with a nod as she brushed a kiss against his cheek and sat herself to his left for breakfast. Marta, the family maid, set her plate in front of her. The sight was stark, to say the least. 

 

Taking a fork, Jackie ate her scrambled egg whites, wheat toast, and grapefruit without complaint. Her mother's _ideal_ choice of breakfast for growing girls, if not just a single grapefruit and no water. Because, as she so lovingly put-  _Water_ _makes you bloated, dear._

 

Thankfully, for her mother's sake,  _gin_ didn't seem to have the same effect, Jackie thought contemptuously. She took a bite out of a piece of toast and tossed a glance at the other four empty chairs in the room, her eyes falling back on her father still reading his paper. She felt just a little bit sorry for him. Even though he wasn't around a lot, her mother was there even less. 

 

A sudden question popped into her mind as she watched him turn another page to the sports section, his eyes glancing lazily over the stats. Before she could stop herself she asked,

 

"Daddy, does it ever make you sad how often mom is gone?"

 

Her father, if not startled, looked mildly bemused at the question, his eyes peeking up from his paper and focusing on her for just a moment before he glanced back at his paper,  "No, not really sweetheart."

 

Something about this answer wasn't good enough for Jackie, so she pressed, "But, you guys are soulmates. Doesn't it ever bother you that she's not around?"

 

Her father didn't even look up from his paper this time, instead, talking to the front page of the business section, he said, "You know, kitten, sometimes you've just got to accept the person you're bonded to for who they are. Besides, if your mother was here all the time, I'd hardly ever see her at the country club."

Ignoring its notes of parental neglect, something about what her father had said rang true. It struck a chord within Jackie as she sucked thoughtfully on a bit of dampened sugar on her finger, swiped off the top of her uneaten grapefruit. 

 

She looked towards her father once again, the corner of her lip turning up in a faint smile, "I think I understand, daddy."

 

Her father nodded to the front page of the business section, looking happy to have all his attention back to himself until, as an afterthought, he said, "This will all make a lot more sense to you when you meet your soulmate."

 

Jackie frowned a little in confusion and looked down at the large, obvious mark across her forearm, still tingling and new against her skin. She rolled her eyes.

 

"Okay, daddy," she replied, excusing herself from breakfast before heading back upstairs to grab one last thing. 

 

Shutting the front door behind her, Jackie tossed her bag over her shoulder and pulled her jacket closer to her neck, the thick shearling protecting her from the early spring chill as she walked to her car.

 

~*~

 

"Honestly, Donna- I don't know anything. And _that_ , my dear, you can take to the bank," Eric said confidently to Donna, leaving her confident only in his stupidity. 

 

"But Eric!  _You said_ you thought Ally Maisner and Ken Morganstern would make a good couple and then five minutes later they got love-marked in the middle of class! How do you explain that?" Donna demanded fascinatedly. They were sat side by side in the corner of the lunchroom with the rest of their group.

 

 _Even when she's not mad, she still sounds like a lumberjack_ , Jackie thought. 

 

Jackie was nearing their table, well aware that across the room her friends on the cheerleading squad were watching her with something close to abhorrence. She flipped her hair nonchalantly and pretended she didn't see Sandra Phillips giving her the stink eye.

 

She saw Steven sat at Eric and Donna's table, taking bites out of an apple as he listened to his friends' conversation. He looked so scruffy, she thought. His hair was a curly, frizzy mess and his band shirt was stained with what looked like grease that had never been properly scrubbed out. Jackie shouldn't have been surprised. _After all_ , she thought,  _he is an underprivileged orphan_. 

 

Hyde was the first to notice her walking towards their table, his eyebrows arching over the top of his aviators as he watched the feisty brunette making a beeline toward them. Donna noticed too, breaking off from her conversation with Eric just as Jackie reached their table. 

 

"Jackie," Donna said, sounding surprised, "What are you doing over here?" 

 

Jackie rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip, looking rather impetuous as she said, "Talking to you, duh." 

 

Donna blinked and then gave Jackie an amused smirk. "Well, okay then," she said, moving back to her more important conversation with Eric. 

 

Jackie flashed a pleased smile and moved to where Kelso and Fez were sitting on the other side next to Hyde. Hyde gave her a brief look then returned to his apple, knowing exactly why Jackie was sitting with them all of a sudden. 

 

Jackie stood for a moment or two behind Kelso, who was sitting directly next to Hyde. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for him to notice her standing right behind him, but he was too distracted talking to Fez. She gave an impatient huff before yelling,

 

"Kelso! I want to sit there."

 

Kelso jumped and turned around, looking confused. "What the hell, Jackie?" he asked indignantly before pointing to a chair beside Eric, "There's an empty spot right there."

 

Jackie continued to tap her foot impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest and wishing Michael would get the memo already. 

 

"I don't want to sit over there, I want to sit  _here_ ," she hissed, leaning her face into Kelso's menacingly. 

 

Kelso was no closer to getting the memo than he was to getting calculus, "Damn, Jackie! What's wrong with that chair?"

 

Jackie had met her boiling point, finally shouting, " _Because I want to sit with Steven!"_

 

The table was momentarily quieted by the outburst. Jackie looked around the lunchroom and saw that thankfully most people hadn't noticed part from a couple of AV geeks. She shot them a sneer and was satisfied when they cowered and turned back to their lunches. Kelso also blanched, quickly picking up his sack lunch and crossing over to the other side of the table, grumbling indignantly as he did. 

 

Hyde could barely contain the chuckle hovering under his breath. As embarrassed as he was knowing all this fuss was over him and Jackie  _sitting together_ , Hyde couldn't deny that it was funny. Especially that wicked burn on Kelso. A small smirk on his face, Hyde sighed and pulled the chair Kelso had shoved backward in his grand exit a little bit closer to the table. Jackie gave him a small smile and sat down primly.

 

Hyde waited until her focus moved to opening up her diet coke before he gave her a real once over. Somehow, she looked even hotter than usual today. Maybe it was her makeup or something she did with her hair, he thought, looking her up and down. His eyes were trailing just a second longer than necessary over her body in that dress she was wearing before his gaze suddenly froze on what she was wearing on top. 

 

Graced on her dainty shoulders as naturally as though it was her's, was Hyde's shearling jacket. He stared for a long hard minute, unable to take his eyes off of it. He had been wondering where he'd put it, and now he was face to face with the tiny, annoyingly hot thief who stole it right from under his nose. Granted, he had given it to her but that was under the belief that eventually, she would give it back. 

 

Hyde was still staring at the item of clothing when he heard Donna ask.

 

"Hey Jackie, where'd you that Jacket?"  

 

Hyde was overcome with dread as he saw Donna eyeing the jacket incredulously.

 

Jackie gave a nervous sort of response in return, "Oh well, it's Steven's."

 

There was a moment of quiet amongst the group which Kelso soon interrupted, saying, "Well damn Jackie, give Hyde is jacket back!" 

 

Jackie flushed immediately, yelling, "Michael!"

 

Donna slapped Kelso across the chest, causing him to shout in pain. He looked between Donna and Jackie in stupid shock, rubbing at his chest shouting, " _What_ is everyone's problem _today_?!"

 

Poor Kelso, Hyde thought. Being an idiot really was a thankless job.

 

Before Jackie could get any more embarrassed and Kelso any more injured, Hyde said, "It's fine Kelso, I gave her my jacket." 

 

For a second once again there was silence before finally, the table all in unison began to awe. 

 

Hyde turned away, disgusted, while Donna started making kissy noises. She laughed and went to hit him gently on the arm, "Awe, Hyde, you big softie."

 

Hyde sneered, "Shut up, the only thing soft here is Eric."

 

The table erupted into laughter, everyone now looking and snickering at Eric who more than anything else couldn't understand how the hell he got roped into this. 

 

"Uh, Hyde- _what the hell_?" Eric cried, looking betrayed at his best friend. 

 

Even Hyde couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry dude, not my fault you got a body like the Pillsbury dough boy.”

 

This had only set off another round of mocking laughter, ending with Kelso shouting, “BURN!”

 

Eric looked aghast, crossing his arms self consciously around him, “I- I do not!’  


 

“Uh,” Donna said, scrunching her nose and giggling a little, “you kinda do.”

 

Eric shook his head resoundingly, finger waving emphatically before him, “No way! Nuh-uh. I’m either a stick man or a doughboy, you can’t have both!”

 

This roused a sudden debate as to whether Eric _was_ a stick man or a doughboy, and Hyde’s work was complete. 

 

He turned back to Jackie, who was grinning and watching the debate go on. He took another look at his jacket, smirked, and turned back to the debate, his arm snaking around the back of Jackie's chair while she didn't notice. 

 

* * *

 

A few hours later the final bell rang, letting Jackie out of her last class, much to her relief. The day had been a long one, and despite a nice lunch with Steven and the group, she wasn't any closer to knowing where she stood with him than she was before. 

 

Crossing over to the end of the hall, Jackie opened up her locker and exchanged her class books for the books she'd need for her homework. She hadn't noticed the familiar sound of a pair of heavy leather boots walking toward her as she searched for her English notebook. Finally, once she retrieved it, she slammed her locker shut and nearly let out a shriek when she saw Steven not five inches away from her, standing tall and poker-faced with his arms crossed over his chest. 

 

Jackie gave a little gulp, unsure for a moment. What did he want? She thought. Maybe he wanted to ask her out on a proper date finally, so they could get to know each other. Jackie thought for a moment that her outfit had worked. She figured that maybe if he saw her wearing his jacket, he might see that she was willing to accept him for who he is, rough edges and all if she wore his ratty old jacket. For a moment she thought about making a flirty comment until she saw his gaze still intensely on her, the corners of his lips turned slightly downward. It was longer than she'd ever seen him look at her before, and she began to worry that he was mad. 

 

Maybe it was about that jacket. Maybe it'd had the reverse effect and he was just annoyed that she hadn't given it back? Jackie felt a stab of embarrassment. _Fine_ , she thought, annoyed,  _if he wants the smelly old jacket so bad, he can have it._

 

"Look, Hyde, if you want your stupid jacket back, it's fine," she said quickly, beginning to shoulder it off of her.

 

Hyde looked startled for a moment and then quickly replied, "No, no- relax, it's okay. You can keep the jacket."

 

Jackie paused for a moment, not quite sure she had heard him right, before adjusting the jacket back on her shoulders. She pushed her hair out from where it had gotten tucked into it and watched as Hyde stood quietly, looking like he had more he wanted to say. 

 

It took a few more moments before finally, he said, "Look, you wanna hang out after school tomorrow?"

 

Jackie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She gaped at Hyde openly, not noticing the tips of his ears begin to turn a little red because of it. 

 

"I meant, I just have a little bit of time tomorrow before work where I got nothing to do and I got nothing to smoke... and you wanted to..." Hyde scratched at the back of his head, looking a little like he was in pain, "I don't know- get to know each other a little so-"

 

"I'd love to," Jackie finally said, putting the poor boy out of his misery. 

 

Hyde licked his lips and nodded, looking relieved. Jackie was struck by how much she wanted to kiss him in that moment. 

 

"Okay..." Hyde started, looking unsure where to proceed, "I guess I'll meet you here tomorrow- end of class?"

 

Jackie only nodded, her eyes sparkling. 

 

He gave her one long, last look, his expression unreadable before finally he nodded once again and then walked away, leaving Jackie just a little bit breathless.

 

Jackie smiled secretly to herself and walked in the direction of the school parking lot, pulling the jacket closer to her middle and planning what she would wear for tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

Sitting in the basement watching a rerun of M*A*S*H, Hyde and Eric sat in companionable silence. A silence that Hyde should have known could not last much longer. 

 

"So, did ya' ask Jackie out like you said you would?" Eric asked.

 

Hyde shot him an annoyed look and sunk further into his seat, not wanting to respond. 

 

"Come on, man. You can tell she wanted you to," Eric said, his tone soft. 

 

Hyde turned his head and grimaced, "Since when did you become a relationship expert?"

 

Something about what he said seemed to strike a chord in Eric and almost immediately he grew still and quiet. For a moment it seemed like it would stay that way, but soon enough Eric began to look more and more bothered until finally, he spoke again,

 

"You know its really a simple yes or no question- 

 

Hyde started, "Holy shit- fine! I did. Now, are ya' happy?"

 

Eric shook his head and pursed his lips, smacking them as he said, "You know, I'm really not."

 

Hyde glanced at him exasperatedly, "Well it's your fault, anyway, you were the one who kept puttin' all that meaning into everything me and Jackie talked about at lunch."

 

Eric grew immediately defensive, raising his hands before him and scoffing, "Uh, well you obviously weren't paying attention- because there were fireworks- fireworks everywhere! It was like a fourth of July parade gone haywire." 

 

Eric crossed his arms, his eyebrows raised as though he'd won. Hyde blinked, "Are you okay, man?"

 

Eric shook his head and pursed his lips again, smacking them as he said, "You know, I'm really not."

 

Hyde sighed, "Look, I asked her out because I know that as soon as we really hang out one-on-one, she's gonna realize that this whole soulmate thing isn't gonna work out."

 

Eric nodded, quietly letting the conversation go. Hyde turned back to the tv and stewed, sinking even deeper into his chair. 

 

Eric couldn't be sure, but it seemed to him that Hyde was starting to pursue Jackie. Eric had that weird feeling again, like spidey-sense, only for other people's relationships. Maybe, Eric had inherited the world's lamest superpower. 

  
_Ugh_ ,he groaned internally,  _figures_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for all the nice comments and kudos! I really appreciate it. 
> 
> Just wanted to note that I know I started this story through Eric's pov and I'm not gonna abandon that thread. There's a little something that I have in mind for Eric, haha.


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